1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to a diabolo top construction and more particularly to molded plastic bowl-shaped bodies assembled in pairs in face-to-face relation as such diabolo tops, to the contouring and proportioning of the bowl-shaped bodies for self balancing on the manipulating string, to flexing features for resisting breakage, and to a conversion capability from a horizontally spinning aerial diabolo to a vertically spinning ground supported top.
2. Description of the Prior Art
All tops of the diabolo type of the prior art as well as those embodying the invention are basically similar in comprising a string, on the order of three feet in length, connected at opposite ends to a pair of sticks serving as handles, one to be held in each hand in substantially parallel relation to each other, and a spinner, that is, the top, per se, which is balanced on the string and caused to spin on its horizontal axis by manipulation of the handles. The designs and constructions of the spinners vary considerably, the spinning causing some to light up and others to produce humming and musical sounds.
The word diabolo, which etymologically is derived from a foreign language base meaning devil, appropriately describes the difficulty one has had in initially balancing such tops of prior construction on the string while attempting to bring the top from a state of rest to rotation on its horizontal axis at a speed sufficient for the gyroscopic force to maintain the top in balance on the string facilitating further manipulation and play. The marketing success of a so called "skill toy" that is, a toy requiring the development of various skills and coordination on the part of the child in order to realize any pleasure therefrom, appears to be related to the child's satisfaction with the toy at purchase so as to hold his interest and motivate continued attempts to perform with the toy. As an example, consider the child purchasing a Yo-Yo. He immediately has the Yo-Yo going up and down on the string, perhaps awkwardly, but he can do something with it. This something provides the required satisfaction at purchase and motivates the child to continue practicing and thereby achieving, step by step, higher levels of skill to hold his interest to an even greater degree. His friends, seeing him enjoy the Yo-Yo, want to buy one and do the same. In this manner, the demand for the toy is maintained along with its popularity.
It is believed that attempts in recent years at marketing diabolo type tops have completely failed or their success fallen far below expectation because of this inherent difficulty in balancing the top on the string, which translates to a serious lack of satisfaction at purchase. To be successful, therefore, there is a need to provide this satisfaction at purchase which can be accomplished by "removing the devil from the diabolo", namely by facilitating the initial balancing of the top on the string.